FORMER President Corazon Aquino has forgiven the 13 ex-soldiers jailed for the murder of her husband, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983, but she wants them to identify the masterminds.

The convicted soldiers were formerly members of the Aviation Security Command who were tagged in the late senator’s murder and that of suspected hitman, Rolando Galman, on Aug. 21, 1983. Many of the ex-soldiers are ill and Public Attorneys Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta is working to have them granted executive clemency under Memorandum Circular No. 155 due to their "life-threatening" medical condition.

In a one-page letter submitted by former Environment Secretary Fulgencio Factoran Jr. to the Board of Pardons and Parole, he said that Aquino has personally "pardoned and prayed for the persons convicted in the case" but it continues to be her wish that the real principals of the crime be identified, even if they could no longer be brought to justice.

"The people of the Philippines deserve to know the whole truth and no less. Such knowledge might help the country prevent a similar tragedy from happening again," said Factoran, one of Aquino’s closest aides during her term, in his Dec. 7, 2007 letter to BPP executive director Reynaldo Bayang.

The statement from Aquino came after the requested her to comment last Nov. 28 on the parole of Felizardo Taran, one of the 13 inmates.

Acosta said it only remains for Aquino’s son, Sen. Benigno Aquino III, to accede to the grant of pardon to his father’s convicted killers. "Sana po Sir Noynoy, tularan nyo ang inyong nanay na nagpatawad na. Para po gumaan ang inyong puso’t kalooban. This is the time that you can show your true act of faith as a Christian. Ang pagpapatawad ay may kalakip na kalayaan. Kung di ngayon, kailan pa? Ito ay isang rason para dumating ang liwanag ng pagpapalaya," Acosta appealed to the senator.

Acosta said that she even went to Noynoy’s office at the Senate to personally submit the 144-page forensic report on the 13 soldiers as well as the testimonies of the witnesses who would attest to their innocence in the killings.

She said Mrs. Aquino’s letter of pardon was documented and were among those submitted to the President’s office for her approval.

Acosta opposed the position of Malacañang that instead of granting pardon to the convicted ex-Avsecom agents, it will just agree to their hospitalization. She said this suggestion of chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol is not practical as it would only cost the government more funds to shoulder their hospitalization bills. "Hindi practical. Sino ang gagastos, kami ni Sir Raul (Justice Secretary Gonzalez)? Praktikal na yung opinion na palayain na rin sila, ika 25-year na this year, so they have suffered long enough," she said.

The Palace is wary of touching the pardon issue after the uproar over the recent release of Pablo Martinez, one of those accused in Aquino’s murder, after he reached 70 years. – Evangeline de Vera